Soccer Team Research Articles

Americans’ attitudes towards the U.S. women’s national soccer team

ABSTRACT The United States Women’s National Soccer Team has been the recent subject of public celebration and critique, reflecting responses to the team’s competitive successes and activist efforts amid heightened political polarization in the U.S. Yet while studies have considered fandom of the team or trends in media, no research has examined patterns of public attitude towards the USWNT. We use data from a 2023 national survey of U.S. adults (N = 2,032) to examine public attitudes and their demographic predictors, positioning patterns in context of the cultural and political environment in professional sport. Findings show moderately positive views of the team, with just over half of respondents agreeing that they view the team positively and feel positively about team players as role models. Gender, education, and political orientation predict attitudes in regression models, with men, those with lower levels of education, and political conservatives holding more negative attitudes.

Cardiac remodeling in elite young Asian female soccer players

IntroductionAn athlete's heart (AH) varies depending on race, sex, age, and the type and intensity of training. Given that soccer is a common sport, evaluation of cardiac function in soccer players is important; however, few studies have analyzed adolescent soccer players. Therefore, this study, aimed to identify early changes in AH in soccer players by evaluating the echocardiographic findings of adolescent Asian female soccer players for whom existing data are scarce.MethodsWe evaluated 20 Korean female under-20 national soccer team players and 42 age-matched healthy females. Participants provided physical examination data such as height, weight, blood pressure, and pulse, along with echocardiographic results. On echocardiography, parameters related to the morphology of the left atrium (LA) and left ventricle (LV) and those related to the systolic and diastolic function of the LV were measured.ResultsThe athlete group had a lower blood pressure and pulse rate than the control group. Echocardiography indicated that both the LA volume index and LV volume in the athlete group were large by approximately 1.5 times compared with those in the control group. The LV wall thickness and mass index were also significantly large in the athlete group. For LV diastolic function, parameters indicating early diastolic filling were substantially higher in the athlete group than in the control group.ConclusionsAdolescent female soccer players exhibited differences in cardiac morphology and an enhanced diastolic function. Therefore, this study suggests that AH begins in adolescence, with changes in both morphology and function.

Video Analysis - An Important Factor in the Preparation and Conduct of the Modern Soccer Game

Video analysis in soccer has evolved significantly in the last decades. In the past, soccer teams had to rely on videotapes to analyze and review the game. However, with the advent of digital technology, video analysis tools have become more sophisticated and affordable. Nowadays, soccer teams can use video analysis software to optimize match preparation and gameplay in real-time.

An Incongruent 2-Minute Stroop Task Alters the Response Time Performance in Semi-Elite Soccer Players: A Pilot Study

Introduction: Mental fatigue is a key factor in soccer that can affect physical performance. Mental fatigue protocols based on the Stroop test used in soccer involve extensive time, ranging from 10 to 30 min. Offering a protocol with a shorter duration that is more applicable in ecological situations seems to be an exciting challenge. Objective: To analyze the effects of a mental fatigue induction protocol (2 min Stroop test in its incongruent mode) on decision-making, response time, and technical execution accuracy in soccer players. Methods: A total of 18 semi-elite soccer male players, 25.83 (4.71) years from a Spanish soccer team, participated in this cross-sectional study. The 2 min incongruent Stroop test was used like mental fatigue protocol, followed by a specific analytical soccer task. The Wilcoxon signed-rank and Chi-squared tests were used to analyze the statistical differences. Results: A significant increase in participants’ response time after the fatigue protocol (p < 0.001; r = 0.878) was observed. Regarding the variables of correct decision (p = 0.457; r = 0.031) and technical execution accuracy (p = 1; r < 0.001), no significant differences were found. Additionally, no differences were observed between the first and second attempts of the 2 min incongruent Stroop test, in terms of execution accuracy, errors, or total words. Conclusions: The 2 min Stroop incongruent task may induce some degree of mental fatigue, leading to slower response time during certain technical tasks in semi-elite soccer players. However, this Stroop task was insufficient to promote significant changes in the accuracy of technical execution and the effectiveness of decision-making.

Adopting dual-tasks in small-sided games training in youth soccer: The influence of experience level on tactical performance

This study assessed the influence of experience level on the cost of tactical performance due to a secondary task in soccer players during Small-Sided Games (SSG). The study involved 36 less experienced soccer athletes (under-13 category) and 36 more experienced athletes (under-17 category), totaling 72 male players from two soccer teams. Participants performed, in a randomized and balanced order, four experimental conditions composed of the following protocols: (1) Single-Task (ST) the 3 vs. 3 SSG, (2) Motor Dual-Task (MDT): SSG while balancing a basketball with a small cone, (3) Cognitive Dual-Task 1 (CDT1): SSG while performing mathematical operations, (4) Cognitive Dual-Task 2 (CDT2): SSG while counting opponent's passes. The SSGs were filmed for players’ tactical assessment using the Football Tactical Assessment System. The task cost was analyzed using two-way mixed ANOVA and Bonferroni post-hoc tests. The comparison between categories indicated that the under-17 category showed a lower cost in the tactical principles of penetration (p = 0.007) and concentration (p = 0.025). In comparison, the under-13 category showed a lower cost in the tactical principles of width and length without the ball (p = 0.007), delay (p = 0.001), and defensive balance (p = 0.025). In comparing protocols, MDT showed a higher cost in the tactical principle of width and length without the ball (p = 0.002). There was no significant difference between CDT1 and CDT2 protocols (p > 0.05). The results suggest that experience level reduces the cost of the secondary task involving actions in progression with the ball, and the MDT, CDT1, and CDT2 protocols appear to generate similar costs to performance.

Youth soccer team’s match dynamics with and without the ball when in both conditions of advantage and disadvantage

ABSTRACT The aim of this study was twofold: i) to compare the collective organisation and running performance with and without the ball, in conditions of advantage and disadvantage; ii) characterise and analyse the methods of attack and defence prevalent in the team during these conditions. Considering two play-off matches of a youth team, 150 actions with and 166 without the ball it was analysed. The dependent variables were captured by GPS devices, while the attack/defence method prioritised by the team was identified through notational analysis. The team prioritised positional attack and mixed defence at a disadvantage, and direct attack and zone defence at an advantage in the clashes. With the ball and at a disadvantage, the team occupied a greater surface area and width, covered a greater distance at low intensity and displayed more accelerations. Without the ball and at a disadvantage, the team also occupied a greater surface area, in width and length, remaining less compacted. The team also showed less physical effort at a disadvantage. We conclude that the team differed in collective organisation, method of attack and defence and running performance both with and without the ball, considering whether it had an advantage in the clashes.

Environmental Heat Stress Detrimentally Affects Match Running Performance of Elite Soccer Teams Competing in the UEFA Champions League.

Modric, T, Clemente, FM, Versic, S, Chmura, P, Andrzejewski, M, Kryściak, J, and Sekulic, D. Environmental heat stress detrimentally affects match running performance of elite soccer teams competing in the UEFA Champions League. J Strength Cond Res XX(X): 000-000, 2024-This study aimed to examine the effect of environmental heat stress (EHS), defined by wet-bulb globe temperature (WBGT), on match running performance (MRP) while controlling for match-related contextual factors. For this purpose, 2 approaches were implemented: (a) the MRP in heat stress nonrisking environment (NoEHS) (WBGT <22° C) and heat stress risking environment (EHSrisk) (WBGT ≥22° C) were compared and (b) changes in MRP according to the 1° C increase in WBGT were evaluated. Data on MRP were collected using an optical tracking system from all teams ( n = 32) in all UEFA Champions League matches ( n = 125) during the 2022-23 season. Metrics included total distance (TD), low-intensity (LIR), moderate-intensity (MIR), and high-intensity running (HIR) distances. Results indicated that less TD (108.84 vs. 110.71 km; Cohen's d [ d ] = 0.53), MIR (15.91 vs. 17.09 km; d = 0.85), and HIR (8.75 vs. 9.23 km; d = 0.46) were covered in matches played in EHSrisk compared with the NoEHS. Further investigation indicated that for every 1° C increase in WBGT, TD averagely decreased by 0.16 km ( d = -0.48), MIR by 0.13 km ( d = -1.09), and HIR by 0.06 km ( d = -0.69). These findings demonstrated decreased overall and intensive workload during the matches in EHSrisk, suggesting the detrimental effect of EHS on match volume and intensity in elite soccer. When EHS risk is anticipated, consideration of playing and recovery strategies should be implemented by coaches to achieve tactical goals while minimizing physical strain during a match.

Predicting soccer matches with complex networks and machine learning

Abstract Soccer attracts the attention of many researchers and professionals in the sports industry. Therefore, the incorporation of science into the sport is constantly growing, with increasing investments in performance analysis and sports prediction industries. This study aims to (i) highlight the use of complex networks as an alternative tool for predicting soccer match outcomes and (ii) show how the combination of structural analysis of passing networks with match statistical data can provide deeper insights into the game patterns and strategies used by teams. In order to do so, complex network metrics and match statistics were used to build machine learning models that predict the wins and losses of soccer teams in different leagues. The results showed that models based on passing networks were as effective as ‘traditional’ models, which use general match statistics. Another finding was that by combining both approaches, more accurate models were obtained than when they were used separately, demonstrating that the fusion of such approaches can offer a deeper understanding of game patterns, allowing the comprehension of tactics employed by teams relationships between players, their positions and interactions during matches. It is worth mentioning that both network metrics and match statistics were important and impactful for the mixed model. Furthermore, the use of networks with a lower granularity of temporal evolution (such as creating a network for each half of the match) performed better than a single network for the entire game.

Relationship between testosterone and cortisol with anthropometric characteristics in professional male soccer players

Pre-season training has been demonstrated to modify the physical fitness and hormone levels in professional soccer players. The present study aimed to analyze the relationships between testosterone and cortisol with anthropometric characteristics in a professional male soccer team after the pre-season period. Fourteen volunteer professional male soccer players participated in this study. Significant decreases in anthropometric characteristics were found. For biochemical measures, cortisol (13) =-5.25, p=.001, d=-.27), testosterone (t (13) =-8.10, p=.001, d=-.65) and C/T ratio (t (13) =-4.07, p=.001, d =-0.2) significantly increased after the pre-season period. Moreover, moderate negative relationships were observed between the percentage of change in body weight, r=0.61, p=.01, body fat percentage, r=.53, p=.04, and testosterone. The present study revealed that the improvements in body composition after intense training in the pre-season period could stimulate anabolic activities such as increases in muscle mass, which is an important result in terms of quality of performance and prevention of injury risk, especially throughout the competitive soccer season. Testosterone and cortisol should be considered for future research as stress and recovery state indicators. In fact, professional soccer staff can use these parameters in combination with other indicators to optimize workloads and avoid overreaching and overtraining. Keywords: Testosterone; cortisol; professional soccer players; performance; physical fitness

Stress Drives Soccer Athletes'Wellness and Movement: Using Convergent Cross-Mapping to Identify Causal Relationships in a Dynamic Environment.

Prediction of athlete wellness is difficult-or, many sports-medicine practitioners and scientists would argue, impossible. Instead, one settles for correlational relationships of variables gathered at fixed moments in time. The issue may be an inherent mismatch between usual methods of data collection and analysis and the complex nature of the variables governing athlete wellness. Variables such as external load, stress, muscle soreness, and sleep quality may affect each other and wellness in a dynamic, nonlinear, way over time. In such an environment, traditional data-collection methods and statistics will fail to capture causal effects. If we are to move this area of sport science forward, a different approach is required. We analyzed data from 2 different soccer teams that showed no significance between player load and wellness or among individual measures of wellness. Our analysis used methods of attractor reconstruction to examine possible causal relationships between GPS/accelerometer-measured external training load and wellness variables. Our analysis showed that player self-rated stress, a component of wellness, seems a fundamental driving variable. The influence of stress is so great that stress can predict other components of athlete wellness, and, in turn, self-rated stress can be predicted by observing a player's load data. We demonstrate the ability of nonlinear methods to identify interactions between and among variables to predict future athlete stress. These relationships are indicative of the causal relationships playing out in athlete wellness over the course of a soccer season.

Is Travel Associated With Match Performance in Elite North American Professional Soccer? An Exploratory Study.

Travel fatigue impacts cognitive and physiologic systems, but its association with elite soccer match performance is unclear. In this retrospective observational study, we aimed to explore the association between travel and match outcomes in elite North American soccer. Travel data and match outcomes(team points or goals scored and conceded) and physical performance outcomes from 26 elite professional soccer teams and their players were analyzed (148 matches [team-based data] and 1252 player matches from 297 players; age 22.7 [4.5]y). Player- and match-level correlations between performance measures and both acute and cumulated travel metrics were analyzed. Cumulative travel metrics were positively associated with team (travel distance [r = .20; 95% CI, .03-.25], travel time [r = .20; .06-.37], and time away [r = .20; .06-.37]) and individual player (travel distance, [r = .14; .08-.19], travel time [r = .17-.23], and time away [r = .13; .07-.18]) high-intensity running. Cumulative time away was negatively associated with team points (r = -.14; -.28 to -.001) and positively associated with goals conceded (r = .14; .01-.27); no clear association between acute travel metrics and match outcomes or physical performance was observed. As travel cumulated, away teams and their players ran more but for less reward (team points), although the magnitude of these associations was small. These data are exploratory and do not imply acausal relationship; however, further research should consider cumulation of travel.

Relative age effect in Mexican professional and youth soccer

In youth football, categories are defined by the players’ year of birth. In one category, there can be an age difference of almost 12 months, which may manifest itself in considerable physical differences. The impact of this "relative age" is reflected in elite teams by an overrepresentation of players born in the first months of the year, called "Relative Age Effect" (RAE). In the present study, this bias was analyzed among the 4499 Mexican players (3531 men, 968 women), registered by the 18 professional clubs for the 2022 season in men’s First Division, their U20, U18, U17, U16, U14 categories, women's First Division, and their U17 categories. From every player were collected: birthday, playing position, minutes played for their teams, and their teams’ final rank in the National Championships. In all categories, except women's First Division, a statistically significant RAE was found, whose size was greater in the lower categories than in the major ones. The playing positions that presented a higher size of RAE were not the same in the different categories. A positive correlation was found between RAE and individual and team performances. These results indicate the need to take a deeper look at the selection and development processes of talented players in Mexico, because players initially favored by their greater relative age do not reach the professional soccer teams in the same proportion.

Overdog Team, Underdog Team and the Philosophy of Soccer Team Ranking

La méthode de Ramanujacharyula [1964], appliquée dans le domaine sportif, permet de déterminer le rang d’une équipe en tenant compte à la fois de la force des équipes qu’elle bat, ainsi que de la force des équipes qui l’ont battue. Nous analysons les changements dans les classements finals de cinq championnats de football (Angleterre, France, Allemagne, Italie et Espagne), induits par l’utilisation de la méthode de classement de Ramanujacharyula au cours de la période 1946-2016. La mesure de Kemeny est ensuite appliquée pour établir une méthode de classement qui refléterait au mieux la philosophie promue par la méthode Ramanujacharyula. Nous montrons que la règle de classement (2 points pour une victoire, 1 point pour un match nul et 0 pour une défaite) est ce que nous considérons comme la meilleure méthode. JEL Classification Numbers: Z20; D71

The Role of Athlete Leadership Quality in the Characteristics of Team Resilience in Elite Soccer Teams: A Cross-Sectional and Longitudinal Mediation of Team Identification

We present two studies examining the relationship between athlete leadership quality and team resilience and explored the mediating effect of team identification. In Study 1, 194 soccer players (Mage = 18.50, SD = 4.49) from eight national teams participated. Structural equation modeling showed cross-sectionally that the four types of athlete leadership qualities were positively related to the characteristics of resilience and negatively to vulnerability under pressure. Team identification was shown to be a mediator of these relationships. Study 2, with four different time-points, involved 208 young soccer players (Mage = 16.05, SD = 3.39) from two professional clubs (i.e., La Liga). Cross-lagged panel models revealed that task leadership quality (Times 1–2) was positively related to the characteristics of resilience (Times 3–4) and negatively to vulnerability under pressure (Times 3–4). However, team identification did not mediate these relationships. Therefore, practitioners should consider the perceptions of leader quality to achieve benefits during competition.

Embodied Cultural Capital, Social Class, Race and Ethnicity, and Sports Performance in Girls Soccer

Compared with working-class parents, middle-class parents increasingly promote sports performance for their children as part of a larger strategy of ensuring that their children are upwardly mobile and likely to attend and graduate from college. However, we need to learn more about the distribution of youth sports performance in specific sports and whether it relates to social class. In this study, we test for a relationship between social class and performance in girls soccer by examining the success of high school girls soccer teams in 16,091 contests. We find that schools with more working-class youth consistently lose by many goals. The relationship between performance and social class is weaker in predominantly Latinx schools than in predominantly Black and predominantly White ones, likely reflecting the community cultural wealth in soccer in Latinx immigrant communities. We discuss the practical and theoretical implications of these findings.

Life in the Huddle: Risk, Representation, and the Labour of Athletic Practice in Sarah DeLappe’s The Wolves

Despite being framed by its author as “not really about soccer,” Sarah DeLappe’s Pulitzer-nominated play The Wolves acutely dramatizes the social dynamics that mark the girls’ indoor soccer team at its centre. Sports plays like DeLappe’s are useful contributions to the political discourses on women’s sport because they de-contextualize sportswomen from the prerogative to win, a cultural compulsion that often feeds individualistic “post-feminist” ideologies and perpetuates the dubious supposition that athletic excellence is a pathway to external liberation. Drawing from Holly Thorpe, Marianne Clark, and Julie Brice’s notion of biocultural creativity, this article demonstrates how The Wolves illuminates the performative processes through which sportswomen cultivate their personal and communal bodies, often in response to institutions that exacerbate the risks already inherent in the sport. By holding The Wolves in tension with uncritical presumptions regarding the “transcendency” of sport and in conversation with the well-earned successes of the United States Women’s National Team, this article asserts that the limits of sport’s representational frameworks must be complemented with a nuanced grasp of women’s sporting politics, a politics that requires collective negotiation with vulnerability as it persists in structures within and beyond the elite level.

The Effects of the Establishment of the Seodaemun District Residents Soccer Team on the Recognition, Image, and Preference of Seodaemun District

The Effects of the Establishment of the Seodaemun District Residents Soccer Team on the Recognition, Image, and Preference of Seodaemun District

Sports Identification in Situational Problem-Solving: A Framework for Understanding Fans’ Communicative Behaviors in Sports Crises

Sports have been enjoyed by people worldwide as an essential part of life. Inevitably, sports-related issues have also permeated into the industry. Specifically, scholars have called for more attention to fan-enacted crisis communication in sports. Based on the situational theory of problem-solving, this project incorporates sports identification, modified engagement in and disengagement from online communication, and self-mocking to examine fans’ online communicative behaviors regarding the National Football League (NFL) concussion issue and the Chinese men’s national soccer team crisis. The findings reveal that sports identification was a significant indicator that influenced fans’ perceptions of the issue. In addition, fans motivated to solve the problem were more likely to engage in online communication rather than disengage from it. Moreover, referent criterion and self-mocking were comparatively unique to the other factors in that they were sensitive to the case and the fans’ cultural background. Theoretical contributions, practical implications, and recommendations for future research are enclosed.

A comparative analysis of weekly internal and external workloads between starting and non-starting professional soccer players: A retrospective 21-week examination.

Aims of the present investigation encompassed: (i) the quantification of training and match loads experienced by starters and non-starters within a professional soccer team; (ii) the identification of variations in these loads across different training modalities, namely, Preparation Training (PT), Match and Match Compensation Training (M&MCT), and their cumulative sum (Total Load; TL); and (iii) the formulation of guidelines aimed at harmonizing the weekly workloads between the groups. Internal and external load of training sessions (n = 97), competitive matches (n = 21) and running based sessions (n = 4) were recorded for 21 weeks to investigate possible heterogeneity between starters and non-starters across PT, M&MCT and TL. During PT, time spent in heart rate zone 5 (HRZ5) was increased for non-starters (+46.1%). During M&MCT, lower loads for non-starters were found in the rate of perceived exertion (sRPE) (-45.6%), HRZ4 (-54%) and HRZ5 (-77.8%), total distance (TD) (-37%), number of sprints (-58.1%), distance in speed zone 1 (-51.1%), zone 3 (-61.5%) and zone 4 (-59.8%) (SZ1, SZ3&4) and all acceleration and deceleration zones (Acc1-4; Dec1-4) (Acc1: -53.1%; Acc2: -56.3%; Acc3: -59.2%; Acc4: 57.8%) (Dec1: -45.9%; Dec2: -55.2%; Dec3: -63.2%; Dec4: -67.7%). Regarding TL, the non-starters' loads remain lower compared to starters for sRPE (-19.2%), HRZ4 (-21.6%) and HRZ5 (-41.4%), number of sprints (-26.7%), SZ3 (-34.2%), Acc3 (-24.4%), Acc4 (-26.1%), Dec2 (-18.7%), Dec3 (-24%) and Dec4 (-31.2%). By implementing a running-based regimen on matchday and MCT the day after (MD+1), TD, distances in SZ1, SZ2, SZ4, SZ5, and counts of accelerations in Acc1&2, as well as Dec1, were effectively replicated for non-starters. All other variables remained unaligned for the non-starters. Given the prevalent emphasis on Small-Sided Games (SSGs) during MCT at MD+1, the incorporation of an additional running-based session for non-starters on MD is advised to address gaps in TD, sprint counts, and high-intensity load variables, such as HRZ4&5 and SZ 3 to 5.

An Expected Goals on Target (xGOT) Metric as a New Metric for Analyzing Elite Soccer Player Performance

Introduction. Football analysis is an applied research area that has seen a huge upsurge in recent years. More complex analysis to understand the soccer players’ or teams’ performances during matches is required. The objective of this study was to prove the usefulness of the expected goals on target (xGOT) metric, as a good indicator of a soccer team’s performance in professional Spanish football leagues, both in the women’s and men’s categories. Method. The data for the Spanish teams were collected from the statistical website Football Reference (https://www.fbref.com). The 2023/24 season was analyzed for Spanish leagues, both in the women’s and men’s categories (LigaF and LaLiga, respectively). For all teams, the following variables were calculated: goals, possession value (PV), expected goals (xG) and xGOT. All data obtained for each variable were normalized by match (90 min). A descriptive and correlational statistical analysis was carried out. Results. In the men’s league, this study found a high correlation between goals per match and xGOT (R2 = 0.9248) while in the women’s league, there was a high correlation between goals per match (R2 = 0.9820) and xG and between goals per match and xGOT (R2 = 0.9574). Conclusions. In the LaLiga, the xGOT was the best metric that represented the match result while in the LigaF, the xG and the xGOT were the best metrics that represented the match score.